By Kate Spencer
In tarot, the Three of Cups represents creative collaboration and sisterhood and celebrates the different contributions of each woman individually as well as their power together. The cover of indie supergroup boygenius’ debut album evokes these ideas, as do the contents of the record itself. Hell, even the album rollout drove this idea home, beginning with three singles showcasing each bandmates strengths (“$20,” “Emily I’m Sorry,” and “True Blue”) before unveiling one of the most collaborative tracks on the record, “Not Strong Enough.”
Despite the contents of each song varying widely- with Bridgers’ melancholy lyrics, Dacus’ tender love ballads, and Baker’s fast paced and energetic guitars- each track manages to encapsulate the feeling of strong friendship and belonging.
The opener, “Without You Without Them,” a simple folk-inspired acapella number (reminiscent of “Ketchum, ID, the closing track of their 2018 EP) speaks of wanting to know someone so well and so deeply that there’s nothing else to know, and you can’t help but feel the three women are singing to and about each other on some level. On solo-lead tracks such as “Revolution 0”, “We’re In Love”, and “Anti-Curse”, each member’s influence can be felt even when their vocals aren’t heard. It’s not hard to tell when the other two members take the backseat to allow the third to write their heart out and showcase their own talents.
One stand-out track for me is “Satanist,” an intense Baker-lead rock number with a verse from each member. To me, this track perfectly captures the magic that can be created when these women come together to make something they’re all excited to add their own flare to. Each verse perfectly captures each members writing style, with Baker singing about making mortgage deals with the Devil, Bridgers confessing to feeling like a phony anarchist, and Dacus casually referencing the works of Solomon. Certainly a highlight on the album, “Satanist” delivers everything I was expecting from these guys and more.
the record is a collaborative album like no other in recent years. The friendship between its creators binds it together and weaves its way into every song, reminding us of the importance of connection in the music we listen to. I’m not the first to praise it, and for good reason: it is a rare conception from three well established musicians who know exactly what they are capable of and have an obvious love for executing their visions, and for each other.
Rated ten out of ten.